Portillo dismisses leadership plan stories as 'lies'

British Shadow Chancellor Michael Portillo today dismissed reports of his plans to run for the Tory Party leadership as ‘‘lies’’.

Mr Portillo is widely seen as a front runner to succeed William Hague if the Conservatives lose the General Election.

He said he sympathised with actress Penelope Cruz, who said people had been telling lies about her since she was a teenager.

He also dismissed reports that Conservative Party vice chairman Steven Norris would offer his support to Mr Portillo as the next Conservative leader if Labour wins the next election by another landslide.

Mr Norris has also rejected the reports.

Mr Portillo said during a visit to the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff: ‘‘Steve Norris has already hotly denied the story in this morning’s press.

‘‘I feel a certain sympathy with Penelope Cruz who says this morning people have been spreading lies about her since the age of 17.

‘‘I am afraid we have seen a lot of lies.’’

Mr Portillo said it was just as well that whoever was spreading the lies should ‘‘get it out of their system’’ now so that it did not undermine the election campaign.

Mr Portillo said he did not know where the stories were coming from.

He added: ‘‘I think these stories are often spread without any high level of authority at all. That is certainly the case in this case.’’

He laughed at suggestions that he was campaigning to take over from Mr Hague.

Asked if he could foresee any circumstances in which he would run for the party leadership, Mr Portillo said: ‘‘I am sorry, I am not going to deal with this any more.

‘‘I have told you that what is reported in the newspapers is lies and rubbish and I want to get on with the message of the Conservative Party.’’